Aspects of Structure, Narration and Symbolism in Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse

Seminar paper from the year 2002 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2 (B), Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald (Institute for Anglistics/American Studies), course: The English Novel, 6 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Virginia Woolf's novel To the lighthouse is seen as one of her most experimental works and some critics call it a 'tour de force'; a masterpiece. In fact, it is a very special piece of fictional prose concerning narrative techniques, plot, symbolism or language, as this paper will show. Furthermore, it will be analyzed, which effects these means and techniques have on the reader and on the novel as a whole. The first part of the analysis will concentrate on the questions how the novel is structured and why it is structured that way. Moreover, the problem of the plot will be discussed. In the second part called 'Narrative techniques' it shall be focused on the different methods that are used to tell the novel, especially the stream of conscious- technique, because it offers particular possibilities, which have an effect on the characters' portrayal and the novel's style. This paper's last item examines symbolism and language and the connection between them. Especially the matter of symbolism is interesting, because it passes through the whole novel and has therefore certain importance and meaning, which is contemplated here. Virginia Woolf's work differs from traditional novels in many points. Some of these points I chose as topics for my term paper, because I would like to show that they are part of the novel's uniqueness.